The Darkness Within

by Deorre, Iris

  ****

  Marvin took down another shot as his friends cheered him on. He was drunk out of his fucking mind and loving it. Marvin had no commitments to any woman. He was a free man and enjoyed spending his evenings out with equally commitment freak men who loved to chat up the women that attended the bars they frequented. His money was wasted on booze and expensive clothes. He’d become a solicitor and had made partner a year ago. His life was a breeze and it didn’t look like he was looking to settle down anytime soon.

  Marvin had an unusual close relationship with his sister Layla. She was a junior doctor working ungodly hours, but always had time to check in with her brother and he had time to check in with him. That evening he’d received about five texts asking if he was okay, to which he hadn’t had time to respond to. He was too busy getting wasted and enjoying the attention from the women around him.

  Marvin was the man who didn’t have to work for attention. Women made the effort to speak to him without any effort on his part. He loved his life!

  ‘More! More! More!’ The group encouraged as he took down another shot of tequila.

  ‘Fuck yeah!’ He slammed the tot glass on the table feeling like lion. ‘Fuck yeah!’

  One of his friends took him into a hug rubbing the crown of his blond hair as he did so.

  ‘One more and you’re the champ,’ said one member of the group.

  ‘Bring it on!’ He began to bang on the table.

  He had no idea that three men in black suits had just entered the pub and were keeping a close eye on him. He wasn’t going home tonight. It would his last night alive. They were certain of it.

  Another round of tequila shots arrived at the table and he looked around the table.

  ‘You can do it mate!’ said one member of the group.

  He looked at the three shots of tequila, lemon and salt and decided this was it. He was going to knock them all back in one go and that would be it.

  ‘Okay, here it goes.’

  The chanting began again as they encouraged him to be an idiot. Being an idiot seemed like the most attractive trait in the place. He began to knock back the booze swiftly until he got to the last one.

  ‘Nailed it!’

  ‘Yeah!’ There was cheering from the crowd, but as he looked around the room it began to look out of sorts. It was as if the walls were closing in on him. Things had also begun to rotate. Marvin knew he’d drank beyond his limits. This wasn’t the first time. He’d always come out of it alive every time.

  ‘I’ve got to go to the little boy’s room,’ he said with a slur.

  ‘Need company?’ asked one of his friends who noticed that he wasn’t himself anymore.

  ‘Don’t be gay! I don’t need a chaperone to the toilet you moron.’ He headed for the toilet without waiting for a response. He staggered to the toilet. The three men in suits followed behind.

  He entered the toilets and only one other person was in there washing his hands.

  ‘Get the funk out,’ said one of the suited men.

  The man ran out without question. The bathroom door was guarded so no one would enter and the three men waited for Marvin to come out.

  It was the last time Marvin was seen with his friends.

  ****

  Ferguson pulled a seat out for Freya to sit.

  ‘What a gentleman. Thank you.’

  ‘For you…I’ll do anything.’

  Freya believed him.

  ‘And later you’ll feel even better.’

  ‘I will won’t I. I can’t wait to get rid…’ She chewed on her words as the waiter approached.

  ‘What do you fancy drinking my love, or is that a silly question?’

  She giggled. He was perfect.

  ‘I’ll have the usual honey.’

  ‘Can we have a double vodka with coke and a lemonade with a slice of lemon for me.’

  ‘Certainly sir.’

  Ferguson had taken her to an upmarket Thai restaurant. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in traditional Thai clothes. The place was immaculate with lovely furniture and a Buda statue on the one side of the restaurant. There was a man with a guitar serenating everyone with his calm voice.

  ‘This is nice,’ said Freya.

  ‘I thought you might like it.’

  ‘You just know how to make me happy.’

  ‘I make it my mission.’ He put his hand on the table and she placed hers in his. Like always he gave it a little rub. ‘Are you looking forward to going to Italy.’

  ‘Absolutely. I could look the man in the face and ask why before he dies.’

  ‘That would feel good, wouldn’t it?’

  She nodded.

  ‘We could make it a mini holiday. Stay a little longer. Celebrate the end of all the scum.’

  ‘Yes! I can’t believe it will be over soon.’

  ‘Yes, well it’s been good. Good for you I hope.’

  ‘Yes I feel like a new person. When each one of them dies, I get better and better.’

  ‘I’m happy to hear it.’

  The drinks arrived and they took a few moments to decided what they wanted to eat.

  ‘Would you like to share a starter?’ he asked.

  ‘Yeah, I don’t mind.’

  Freya showed him what she’d like and he thought it would nice and so they shared a platter of seafood and chicken. They also decided on the main course so there was no waiting in between. As soon as the waiter left, he took her hand again.

  ‘So do you know how you want to do it tonight?’

  She looked up a moment and took a moment to think. Marvin had been the most arrogant of the group. He’d been unpleasant and behaved as if he were entitled. It was horrible thinking about it.

  ‘I guess I’ll decide when I get there. Sometimes I don’t know, but when I see him I will.’

  ‘That’s okay honey. I just want you to be happy.’

  ‘I know you do. I want you to be happy too.’

  ‘I’m happy as long as I’m with you darling.’

  She smiled as she took a gulp of the drink.

  ‘Have you ever been to Italy?’

  ‘No I haven’t,’ she said.

  ‘You’ll love it. I have someone following Thomas. I’ll have full details on what he does every hour and then we can take it from there.’

  ‘Sounds great. I have this vision of how I’d like it to go down.’

  ‘Go ahead and tell me and I will have it all planned.’ He winked.

  Freya looked around her making sure no one was eavesdropping, smiled at him mischievously and began to tell him exactly how she’d like it to happen.

  ****

  ‘Let me go! Let me go!’ Marvin struggled as the men took him to the abandoned warehouse.

  He was placed on the chair where some of his other friends had been tied up and slaughtered. The men muttered a few words to each other and then began to leave.

  ‘Wait. Please. Tell me what you want.’ He couldn’t see a thing under the bag but could hear them.

  ‘Nothing from you!’ The man sounded Russian. ‘Goodbye!’

  ‘No! Please, please.’ Marvin pleas landed on deaf ears. All that was heard was the sound of heavy boots leaving the premises.

  He sat in fear of his life for what felt like forever. He didn’t know what to expect. Why were they doing this? Whoever they were. After he thought he’d be there until he died, Marvin heard multiple footsteps.

  ‘Hello. Who’s there? Please help me.’

  Freya felt her heart pick up pace and her hands shake. She felt the anger rise up within her as she remembered his sweaty body against hers. She remembered the way he held her chin between his thumb and index and he mercilessly pounded into her. She cringed.

  ‘You okay?’ asked Ferguson.

  ‘I will be.’ She walked towards Marvin and pulled off the black cloth bag that had been covering his head. She waited for him to recognise her. It took a while for it to register.

  ‘Freya?’ He’d sobered up
somewhat.

  ‘I’m surprised you remembered my name.’ She folded her arms.

  ‘I…how could I forget such a pretty face.’

  She drew closer and slapped him across the face.

  ‘I guess I deserve that.’

  ‘No. You deserve so much more, you sick bastard.’

  ‘Look Freya I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m ashamed. I was young.’

  ‘And yet you knew what you were doing. It didn’t change the pain and anguish I went through. You raped me!’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘Really? Why didn’t you apologise before today?’

  ‘I was afraid.’

  ‘Bullshit! You’re a horrible human being and you deserve to die.’

  ‘You don’t mean that.’ He looked over at Ferguson briefly. ‘You’re kidding right?’

  ‘Does it look like I’m joking you asshole. Was it a joke when you were fucking me? Was it?’

  ‘Of course not. I’m so so sorry.’

  ‘That’s not good enough.’ She turned to Ferguson. ‘I know how I want it done.’

  ‘You do?’

  She smiled. ‘I want you to do it. I want you to strangle him to death while I watch. While I see him squirm and suffer the same way he watched me suffer. I want him to know how it felt.’

  ‘Whatever you want darling.’ He walked towards the black bag that had been brought by the group of men.

  ‘Freya, don’t do this. This is crazy! Please.’

  Ferguson walked towards him wrapping the rope around his hands.

  ‘Freya please.’

  ‘Ready?’ asked Ferguson.

  ‘No, please, please.’ Marvin shook his head from side to side.

  ‘No mercy for you, just like I showed no mercy for your rape buddies. They died on that chair too.’

  ‘Good lord. You’ve turned into a monster.’

  ‘The monster you turned me into. It takes one to know the other.’

  ‘Freya I’ll do anything. I don’t want to die. I’ve got so much to live for.’

  ‘I did too until you took it away. I lost half of my life to booze and drugs because of you. You and your friends. You deserve to die. I died the day you hurt me.’ She looked him straight in the eye and for a moment he dropped his head ashamed. Ashamed for all he’d done to her.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’ He tried one last time.

  ‘I’m ready, honey.’ She nodded at Ferguson.

  ‘Oh god.’ Marvin was in tears.

  Ferguson wrapped the rope around Marvin’s neck and began to pull on it. He began to choke and gasp for air. His arms were bound behind him rendering him powerless from trying to set himself free. His legs were also bound, and so he couldn’t move much. It was the most painful thing he’d ever experienced. Through it all Freya didn’t feel any remorse. She didn’t care that he was choking to death, that his eyes were bloodshot and that he was begging for one more chance. Freya loved to watch, she loved to see the life go out of his body and just like that, he would cease to exist.

  Ferguson gazed into her eyes as he pulled harder on the rope. She smiled slightly. He did the same and then there it was, Marvin was gone. His head dropped to his chest lifelessly. It was over. Marvin no longer belonged, he would disappear into nothing.

  Ferguson let go and she was in his arms. He gave her a tight hug and she leaned into him.

  ‘It’s over, he’s gone.’

  ‘Thank you. I feel so alive.’ She looked up at him.

  ‘I feel alive too darling. Let’s go home.’

  She nodded with a wide smile.

  ****

  Detective Murphy and Roy were let into Trevor’s house by the caretaker. The first thing they noticed was the smell of dirt. The house was a mess, the carpets hadn’t been vacuumed for months. There were loads of unwashed dishes in the sink. Old food had also been left on the table. There was old Chinese takeaways boxes and old pizza.

  ‘What a tip,’ said Roy.

  ‘We know for certain that Trevor was single. No woman in her right mind would be with such a man.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be with such a man,’ he joked.

  They ventured to the bedroom to see if there would be any clues that would give them an idea of where he was. The bedroom was equally dreadful. The bed was unmade and it looked like he hadn’t changed the sheets for months.

  ‘What the hell is this?’ Roy picked up the restraints from the sided of the bed and showed them to Murphy.

  ‘Looks like Trevor had some hidden fetishes.’ The more they explored his apartment the more they found. Chains, whips and mouth gags were found. Murphy opened the top of the chest of draws and found women’s panties.

  ‘Good lord!’ Murphy gasped. ‘We have a psycho on our hands.’

  Semen was found on the sheets, some other bodily fluids and strands of hair. The forensic team had to be called in. Trevor’s home had become a crime scene.

  ‘Trophy’s?’ Roy suggested about the panties.

  ‘Looks like it. I think we have a rapist on our hands. I wonder if his mother knew how sick this man was or is. Don’t know where he is, but if we go on the theory that the killer gets rid of scum, then we’ve got our man.’

  ‘I was thinking that all these men have one thing in common. A victim. A woman who I think was raped and hurt.’

  ‘I think you’re right. I think that someone is getting revenge, but if it’s a woman, I don’t think she’s working alone.’

  ‘She might have a lover who is the man we’ve been searching for.’

  ‘That is a possibility.’

  They found a laptop underneath the bed. It was a while before they were able to bypass the password.

  ‘Good God! This is one sick man! I would want to kill him myself!’ said Murphey. They’d watched how women had been drugged and raped against their will. It was a horrific scene. The man had taken the time to record all of his perverted acts. ‘I wonder if his mother knows that her son is a sick bastard,’ he repeated.

  ‘Perhaps we need to spare her the details.’

  ‘To be honest, this man deserves what he got, whatever it is. I’m ashamed to say it.’

  ‘I agree. No one should go through such horrible acts. Where are these women? Why haven’t they come forward, unless of course they’re dead.’

  ‘I’m going to try and find them.’ He sat back and tried to digest what he’d seen. It made his stomach turn thinking about it. He didn’t care if Trevor was never found. The man deserved whatever he got.

  ‘We’re looking for a female with an accomplice,’ said Roy.

  ‘Yes. This makes things a little easier. We need to compile a profile for Ferguson and see if any of the guests at the ball Ronald attended, went to Leeds university.’

  ‘I’ll get right on it as soon as we get back.’

  ‘I honestly wonder what happens to the bodies.’ He was curious.

  ‘I’m sure whoever is behind this will makes sure the bodies are never found.’

  ‘That would make our case hard to prove.’

  ‘Yes it would.’

  ‘I don’t know how I feel about that. On the one hand after seeing what Trevor has done, I think he deserves what came to him, but on the other hand, the law isn’t to be taken into one’s own hand,’ said Murphy.

  ‘I agree. I guess we still have to follow the law and bring in the person who has decided to take revenge into their own hands.’

  ‘I agree. Let’s bring this person in or people in, whoever they are.’

  Chapter fifteen

  ‘So we know that all the men that have died or we presume are dead were all at the same university. We also know that they did something to have caused this. The question is. Why now? Why after all these years would someone seek out revenge.’ Murphy studied the wall with all the information gathered.

  ‘Perhaps the person has more resources now. Perhaps they were working their way towards doing it.’

  ‘Nah. That’s not it. I think lik
e you said there are two people. A woman and a man. The woman probably didn’t think of revenge until she met the man. Have we got a profile for Mr Banks?’ He kept his eyes on the charming man.

  ‘We have.’ He printed what was on the laptop and added it to the board. ‘I’ve also narrowed down the number of people who were at the ball that also attend the same university the same year group.’

  ‘And?’ he waited.

  ‘I have four people. Two women one man.’

  ‘We’ve got the footage from the ball don’t we?’

  ‘We do.’

  ‘Great. Let’s go through it and see if we can spot something obvious.’

  It didn’t take long for Roy to spot Freya talking to Ronald briefly. She looked uncomfortable and dashed out, Ronald following her and then Ferguson followed a few seconds later.

  Roy went back to the list of people that had attended the same university. All he needed were some photographs.

  ‘I think I’ve got something. I’m just waiting for some images.’

  ‘It better be good news.’

  ‘I think it will be.’

  They worked for another hour before the pictures came onto his screen. He took time to compare them to the footage he’d seen.

  ‘I think I’ve found something.’

  ‘Ferguson Banks and Freya Johnson.’

  Murphy stood behind Roy and studied the information.

  ‘This is good. Very good. Let’s get a profile on Freya. I think we have the people you were looking about. If we find out what happened, then we can take it from there.’

  ‘I’m right on it.’

  The next few hours all they did was work. They were getting closer to find out what happened to the men that had disappeared.

  ****

  ‘If anything goes wrong or if you need me just give me a ring. My phone will always be on.’ Freya told Bailey.

  ‘So do you know where in Italy you’re going.’

  ‘Venice. I believe it’s nice weather out there, compared to our unpredictable weather.’

  ‘Sounds so exciting. What’s it like to fly private?’

  ‘Well.’ She looked at the hostess who had just approached her to ask what she wanted to drink. Freya lifted the empty vodka glass and mouthed, ‘The same please.’ She then looked over at Ferguson who was studying his computer.